Rolo Stuffed Peanut Butter Cookies

Growing up, I never expected to live farther than five minutes away from my parents. After all, my Nana was about two minutes from my house, and my Grandma was three, depending on traffic lights. But life never really goes as planned, and we have landed about a two hour drive from my childhood home.

I’m not complaining; two hours is much preferable to the 11 hour drive it used to take my parents to come visit us when we lived in Arizona. Plus a time difference, for six months (I really don’t get that, BTW). I’ll take two hours, no problem.

The problem with being far away is that we don’t always get to celebrate birthdays on the actual day. And in my family? Birthdays are big. (Like you didn’t guess from yesterdays post.) Big with cake and candles and singing. Usually a dinner out, to a nice restaurant where you can wear your dressy jeans.

Yesterday was my mom’s birthday. We couldn’t be there, it being mid-week during school time and all. We’re going to see her next week, but still. I couldn’t let her birthday go without some sort of celebration, right? I can’t very well mail a birthday cake. So I made cookies instead.

Rolo stuffed cookies aren’t new, but they’re new to me! I’ve been wanting to make them for ages now. So I combined my favorite peanut butter cookie recipe with one of my mom’s favorite candies.

All you have to do is get a scoop of cookie dough and wrap a Rolo inside. Easier than inventing mail-proof buttercream. I added some crisscross marks ‘cuz, well, it’s not a peanut butter cookie without fork marks.

Directions:

Mix butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla with a stand or hand-held mixer until just blended. Add egg and beat until incorporated.

Whisk baking soda and flour in a medium bowl. Add to wet ingredients and mix just until blended.

Scoop 2 tablespoon sized balls of dough. Place a Rolo in the center of each and roll so that the Rolo is in the center of the dough and does not show. Place 2” apart on baking sheet. Use a fork to make crisscross patterns on each cookie (dipping the fork in water will help it not stick to the dough).

Bake about 8-9 minutes just until set. Bottoms will slightly brown and centers may still look a little under baked. Let cool on cookie sheet for about 2 minutes, then remove to cooling rack to cool completely.